Road Rough Ahead
by Lionus
Summary: The Games take a turn that push even him into doubt and begrudging worry.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

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"You're worried, aren't you?"

The click of her heels echoed in the pattern she once chanted and for a second, he convinced himself he felt raindrops sink into his hair and slide down his temple. Her old habit was so ingrained in his mind it was hard to make his nose realize the smell of spring rain wasn't really there.

When he didn't say anything, Juvia stepped closer- sizing him up with an ounce of knowing only a handful of people had on Gajeel Redfox. Her exhale came out in a weary but endearing chuckle as she settled her hand on his shoulder. They both knew it would rest there until she got an answer from the slayer.

Few knew that Juvia Lockser was known for one thing other than her Water Lock, and that was her unwavering- and often times damn grating- patience.

Gajeel didn't like to think about how she came across the talent while in her early days of dark guilds and isolation; the memories tasted too much of rust and felt like rolling a sightless doll between his hands.

The solemn creature she had sewn weighed like a phantom against his palms- despite the thing having been gone for years now.

However, even fewer knew Gajeel Redfox had his own fair dose of patience; he'd lived through enough that it became second nature. It just so happened that a couple of certain guild mates had found the shorter end of his fuse and seemed to revel in flambéing that wick at both ends.

Gajeel prided himself on being a man that didn't actually worry, or at least not to admit to it. However, there was no chance he could withstand his old friend's patience or convince her of anything different even if he said so. "Heartfilia's gone and Corona already used the little one against us once. Who's next?"

It'd be hard for him to clear the image of Salamander's rage or the horror and fear that twisted the female sharp shooter's face. He could almost feel the same fury and pain blooming in a spot of his chest he thought Phantom Lord had skewered ages ago. The thought of their enemy doing it again, doing it to _her_-

"She's with Lily, Gajeel."

The dragon slayer nearly couldn't form the retort for the way his tongue weighed sickly in his mouth, but he managed- just as he always did in an argument. "Yeah, and Lucy's got an entire army on a key ring. Even Wendy was almost- and she had the hag _and_ Exceed with her."

Juvia pressed her lips together, glancing at a spot over his other shoulder. "Master and the First-"

"Have their own concerns." His sigh fell like an anchor in his chest, crashing through every single one of his ribs and making itself at home in the pit of his stomach. Gajeel startled when the water mage began to chuckle. It was a grim conversation about a grim situation and she was _laughing_.

He snarled, "You've gone off yer rocker, Lockser."

She hummed and stepped back, a pleasing air rolling off her form as she grasped her hands in front of her and smiled at him. "Perhaps Juvia has, but it _is_ quite amusing."

Gajeel scoffed, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at her in what he hoped was a threatening manner. A false hope, he knew, as he hadn't been able to intimidate her in nearly thirteen years- if they counted Tenrou.

_Still._

"All right, I'll bite. What're ya goin' on about now?"

The dragon slayer could count on one hand the number of times she had mirrored his smirk and used it against him. Absolutely none of those instances had turned out well for him and there was a foreboding slime _coating_ his spine with the look she was serving him now.

_Damn pain in the ass._

"Juvia could list all the powerful mages Levy sits by in the stands or remind Gajeel of the fact that Levy knows how to fight off her own opponents, but no one will satisfy you."

"I don't see the problem."

The smirk eased into the caring and warm smile that had become a regular practice since joining Fairy Tail as she stepped closer to him once more. Juvia raised her hand and returned a treatment he constantly used.

The sharp flick to his noggin stung a bit from her nails, if he were to be perfectly honest.

Gajeel opened his mouth to retort and put her back in her place, but the growl was stuck in his throat when she spoke over him. "No one will be strong enough to ensure she is okay because they are not _you_. As much as you hate to admit it, even Lily gets shadowed by your doubts, Gajeel."

Anything he had planned to say once she was done with her self-satisfied speech dried up on his tongue and disappeared with the almost unseen gulp that followed. She'd hit the nail on the head and, just like every time he had given it thought, the fact that he second guessed even Lil' had bile rising in his throat.

"Have you spoken with her?"

Before the man could really think too much on it, a hand jolted to the wide headband he now wore and scrubbed over the fabric. "Yeah, showed up in the tunnels and wouldn't listen to me until she had her say- _as always_."

"I figured she'd find you." The water mage winked at him, watching with amusement as everything clicked into place and his dragon slitted irises widened.

"_Of course_ you had somethin' to do with her bein' down there in the first place."

"Aye. Levy ran into Juvia at the entrance to the tunnels and asked Juvia to give it to you. Juvia had a better idea, so she stayed on look out at the entrance until Levy came back. Lily came by and Juvia convinced him to wait a moment."

_"Bloody conspirator."_

The water mage continued nonplussed by his tone, happily adjusting the Cossack hat she wore. "Juvia wears many hats."

"Yer impossible."

"Gajeel is even more so."

He snorted, "And how do you figure that?"

Juvia tapped a thin finger against the side of her nose. "It does funny things to us."

He knew what she was talking about now.

Knew because he had figured out that particular detail awhile go, but it didn't stop him from being a little more than mildly surprised that she had seen the revelation too. Given, he hadn't known for much longer than a month- it was still fresh. The word wouldn't pass his lips yet; it felt wrong when Levy had no idea as to what thoughts ran around in his head.

Even more so when it wasn't supposed to happen.

When he didn't deserve _that _and she had no obligation to return hi-

"What the hell are ya goin' on about now?"

She smiled. "Gajeel is a terrible liar. Juvia has had an idea."

"Have ya now?" He shouldn't have been even remotely surprised.

_"Ass."_

"Okay, fine. Pass on yer grand token of wisdom, ya damn meddler."

"Fight with her." At the look he served her, she shook her head exasperatedly and sighed. "_Alongside_ her. When we're done, become a part of her team and stop worrying yourself into an early grave, Gajeel."

A flash of their time on Tenrou rose up in his mind, unbidden.

Their fight with Kawazu and Yomazu. How she'd saved his ass more than once on that island, but most notably, the feel of her back brushing against his and her wild determination that fed his own drive to totally wipe the forest floor with Grimoire's sorry asses. Following the battle up with having to lug him halfway across the damn place hadn't exactly been a part of his grand plan in winning, but she'd done it without batting an eyelash.

Even when she had the opportunity to pass his dead weight off to Erza or Juvia, the script mage just squared her jaw and set off for the base camp. She'd already left him once to find help and he had made it pretty clear as to where he wanted her to be beforehand, so separating hadn't been an option for them.

He still wondered at Levy's uncanny ability to put _him_ in his place.

A ghost of a smile wound its way to his mouth as he thought about what he'd told her. He'd been stupidly running his mouth and then, she'd shown him. Gajeel was the one that told her to stay by his side because she was small, but in the end, he relied on her.

And if Sabertooth wanted a fight, then he'd happily give it to them with the shortest damn Fairy they had in their deck covering his back.

The water mage was positively beaming now. "You should ask for Juvia's advice more often."

"Like hell!" His grin disappeared and he scowled as he swiped for her, aiming to knock that ridiculous hat off her head.

With an ease that came with knowing Gajeel Redfox year after year after year, she side-stepped and caught his arm in her Lock. "Mercy?"

Gajeel huffed and struck his boot out, catching her behind the knee enough to knock her out of her stance. "Damn Rain Woman. _Okay_- truce."

The water around his arm melted to the ground and sank happily into the earth at their feet.

"I hope yer happy now, the piercings're probably gonna rust with all this wet fabric on 'em."

"Complain some more, why don't you?," Juvia snorted. In a flash her arm cut out in front of her and the water droplets were brought from his coat, floating in the air toward her. She gathered the droplets in her palm and rolled them over her fingertips, contemplating what she would say next. "You'll think about it, Gajeel?"

"Will it get ya off my back?

A thin blue brow rose in a way that was so innately familiar, even if she was threatening to drown his lungs as he stood on dry earth, it still pulled a smile to his face.

"All right, yes- _fine_. I'll think about it."

"Juvia will find out if you didn't."

Gajeel brushed a hand over his freshly dried sleeve, seemingly satisfied with the job as he stuck his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "I don't doubt you will."

She hummed, content with his answer as she brushed out her skirt. "So long as you know."

_"Tch." _The dragon slayer rolled his eyes.

They hadn't been allowed this in their prior guild; nobody bantered uselessly if they wanted to be taken seriously. 'Friend' wasn't a term employed by the dogs of Phantom Lord. Their fellow guild members had respected Juvia, but gave her no pleasantries outside of the recognition that she could slice them to shreds. Fairy Tail was the polar opposite and, when she had come to plead with him to join, Gajeel had never seen her genuinely happy.

He had been thankful for it.

They both had blood on their hands, but she deserved to be taken in and cleaned up. The water mage wasn't even aware that he had talked to Makarov about her.

With the Master and guild's help, their laughter came easier and the barbs that they delivered without any real venom was something he didn't know he'd come to rely on. Or discover that Juvia Lockser had a biting wit that rivaled his own and was actually _funny_ when she wanted to be.

Gajeel smirked and opened his mouth, the dragon slayer's next words died on his tongue when another set of heels firmly echoed into the nook they had stowed away in.

"There you two are! We're ready to go out for the last battle if you are." Erza folded her arms, the _clink_ of her armor an octave closer to her regular definitive order. The bags under her eyes looked a shade lighter and her hair hung a little more confidently at her shoulders. They could do this, they could win and their competitors wouldn't stand a chance touching one of Fairy Tail's own again.

Juvia's mouth curled in excitement and Gajeel cracked his knuckles, smirking.

"Always, Titania."

He wanted to get done with this mess. The guild's time to be back on top had come, and he had a bookworm to get beside the second this whole mess was done.

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**A/N: **Obviously set after the Lucy and Asuka debacles, but before Gajeel's fight with Rogue- so, possibly right before the battle where they're released out into the city square. This was just to satisfy my need for Juvia and Gajeel brotp. Title comes from 'You've Got a Friend In Me'.


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